Reader device for chip cards

ABSTRACT

Read apparatus for chip cards with a housing formed in two parts from a lower part (1) and an upper part (2), the upper part (2) of which contains a contact support (3), with a number of contact pairs (4) that corresponds to the number of read tracks and can be connected to a respective contact lead-in via a limit switch (20), wherein the upper frame part (1) and the lower frame part (2) enclose an insertion slot for the chip card, in which the lower frame part (1) is constructed as a slide guided so as to be displaced on the upper frame part (2) between two engaged positions, of which one engaged position defines the insertion or removal position and the other engaged position defines the read position for the chip card. The upper frame part (2) is equipped with a guide (7) and the lower frame part (1) with a carriage (8) that can be displaced on the guide (7) and pivoted out elastically over part of its length, the elastically pivotable area having a catch tab (9) which interacts with catches (10,11) formed in the upper frame part (2) corresponding to the two end positions of the slide (1). The upper part (2) is provided at one of its edges with hooks (21) permitting the encompassing of a support, a circuit board, for instance, and with elastic elements (22) in the vicinity, as well as with a spreader clips (24) in an area remote from the edge that can be inserted into an opening of the support.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention proceeds from a Chip card reading apparatus according tothe preamble of claim 1. In the known chip card readings of this type,actuation is accomplished in that the chip card is inserted into theslide and inserted with it, possibly against the force of a spring beingtensioned, until reaching a final position defined by a stop, in whichthe card, with simultaneous operation of a limit switch, is brought intoit read position and held in place there. Removal takes place by areverse process by releasing the lock holding the card in its finalposition, whereupon it is automatically ejected under the force of thetensioned spring. In these apparatuses, employed, for instance, forprotection against or prevention of theft of automobile radios, theslide generally consists of transparent material, the slide beingprovided with a signal unit, for instance, a light-emitting diodeshining on the slide, which becomes effective in the extended position.

The known chip card readings have proven themselves well in practice,but in many cases have a constructive height making their use difficultor occasionally, even ruling it out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the present invention is accordingly the creation of achip card reading apparatus permitting the exertion of an optical signaleffect and which make economical production possible. This problem issolved by a Chip card reading apparatus with the characteristicsreproduced in claim 1.

With the invention, a chip card reading apparatus is created in whichthe lower part, generally serving as the housing lid, simultaneouslyserves as the slide permitting the introduction of the chip card andwhich can be constructed in this way with an extraordinary smallconstructive height. Beyond that the frame is of simple design and cantherefore be economically manufactured, in view of the fact that itconsists of only two parts that con be connected by simply pushing themtogether, and also in view of the fact that the housing consists ofdifferent materials because of the transparency of the slide. Ittherefore permits a selection of materials optimally adapted to theother requirements, for instance, the required guidance characteristics.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Additionally details of the invention characterized in the claims areexplained below on the basis of the attached drawings. These show, in

FIG. 1, the perspective representation of a contact support frame in theinactive position;

FIG. 2, the housing reproduced in FIG. 1 in the read position;

FIG. 3, a view from below onto the housing reproduced in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4, a view of another embodiment of a contact support frame; and

FIG. 5, a view from the side onto FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The chip card reading apparatus reproduced in FIGS. 1-3 consists of ahousing constructed in two parts having a lower part 1 (hereinafterslide 1) and an upper part 23 intended for attachment to a circuitboard. In case of this embodiment, the contacts 4 are clipped into theupper housing part together with the (3) contact support and are thus anintegral component of the upper housing part 2. The contacts 4 are eachconnected via a limit switch 20 to a contact lead, not shown in thedrawing. The lower frame part 1 is constructed as a slide that permitsthe introduction of the chip card into the apparatus and is guided onthe upper frame part 2 such that it can be displaced between two engagedpositions, of which one engaged position defines the insertion orremoval position and the other engaged position the read position forthe chip card.

For this purpose, the upper frame part 2 is provided on each side with arail 7 as a guide and the lower frame part 1 with a carriage 8 in theform of a grooved bar encompassing the guide rail 7, opening in itsmiddle area like a window and, because of its window like opening 13,forming an elastic ridge 123, on which a catch tab 9 is formed. Twocatches 10 and 11 are formed in the upper frame par 2, the catch 10defining the outer limit position of the slide corresponding to theloading position and the catch 11 the inner limit position correspondingto the read position.

The upper housing part 2 is provided with stops 5 which prevent adisplacement of the carriage 1 past its engaged positions 9/10, 9/11and, in order to make the joining of the two parts easier, areconstructed to be flexible about the longitudinal axis extendingparallel to the guide rails 7. The stops 5 are provided with drilledholes which permit the screwing of the upper housing part to a support,for instance, a circuit board. Because of this construction of the Chipcard reading device loosening of the slide 1 from its support is out ofthe question and thus an absolutely secure connection of the two partsin the installed position is guaranteed in that the screw fasteningprevents the bending of the upper housing part, be a transverse tensileforce on the slide, for instance, and thus a popping of the carriage ofits guides. Such a stress leads instead to pull in the carriage 8 moretightly onto its guides.

The slide 1 is furthermore provided at the ends of its outer edges withentrainment stops 16 for the chip card and with a grip recess 17 forholding the chip card in the area between the entrainment stops 16.

In order to push the chip card into the read position, the card isinserted into the slide 1 in the position of the reader reproduced inFIG. 1 and pushed with a slight pressure into the reader. Here the catchtabs 9 slide out of their catches 10 with an elastic outwards bending ofthe ridges 12 and slide 1 on the respective associated side surface ofthe upper frame part 2 until engaging in the catches 11 defining theread position. The extraction of the chip card correspondingly takesplace in the reverse order, wherein the card can be easily grippedbecause of the grip recess 17 and entrains the slide 1 during extractiondue to contact with the entrainment stops 16. From the drawing, inconjunction with the above explanation, it is immediately recognizablethat the insertion of the slide 1 containing the chip card into the readposition and its return to the removal position is done exclusively bymanual operations and only against the transverse force exerted by theelastic ridges 12 causing a frictional force, the ridges 12 exerting noforce on the card.

In the embodiment is reproduced in the drawings, the slide 1 is equippedat its inner edge with an actuation element 19 acting on the limitswitch 20 projecting into the chip card plane and capable of pivotingout upon insertion of the chip card, in the case of this example, atearout formed in one piece with the slide which bends out elasticallyinto the slide plane upon insertion or introduction of the chip cardinto the slider 1. Any other device actuating the limit switch 20 underthe specified condition can also be provided. On the one hand, theactuation element arranged in this manner exerts a pressure on the chipcard and thus holds the contact field of the chip firmly against thecontact in the read position of the contact field of the chip. On theother hand, the unit is of great advantage for Chip card readings inwhich, as is frequently the case in automobile radio equipment, a signalunit that indicates the non-functionality of the Chip card readingvisually or acoustically is turned on by extraction of the chip card. Inthese cases the signal unit can be made inoperative by simply pressingthe slide constructed in this manner, without involving putting thecontrolled device, the radio equipment, for instance, into operation. Inknown Chip card readings this is possible only by inserting a dummycard.

An additional embodiment is reproduced in FIGS. 4 and 5. I this case thecontacts do not constitute an integral part of the upper housing part,but are instead fastened to the circuit board independently of it, forwhich reason the housing has an appropriately enlarged window 23, whichencloses the contact support with play on all sides after assembly. Inthe case of this embodiment, the upper part 2 is provided, instead ofthe stops 5 simultaneously serving as fastening eyelets, with stops 25at its front end for fastening to the circuit board and with separatehooks 21 permitting the surrounding of the circuit board and in theirvicinity with elastic elements 22, as well as with spreader clips 24 atits back end which can be inserted into an opening of the circuit board.Assembly of the Chip card reading is extraordinarily simplified in thismanner insofar as all that is necessary is the suspension of the hooks21 on the edge of the circuit board and clipping the spreader clips 24into the holes provided for this purpose in the circuit board, theelastic elements 22 holding the Chip card reading under tension, andthus in a stable position independently of the different thicknesses ofcircuit boards and of any manufacturing tolerances. If necessary, anadditional protection against unintended release of the connection canbe provided by axial tightening of a screw, thus spreading open the clipin the manner of a straddling dowel, by which the clip is heldirremovable in place in its hole.

Finally, the upper part 2 is provided with a recess 26, whose edge 27lying in the slide direction has a conically pointed form. Such recessesin the form of a window or a trough-like depression are frequentlyemployed for purposes of materials saving or for creating an opening, inorder to permit access to the circuit or assembly board underneath. Theycan cause difficulties in the sense that the chip card, frequentlydeformed after prolonged use, strikes the front edge of the recess, andthus an introduction into the read position is no longer possible or atleast made more difficult. Due to the conically pointed form of therecess, on which the card slides while being pushed in, an unhinderedintroduction is guaranteed even in case of a severe deformation.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for reading a chip card having aplurality of contact fields defined thereon, said apparatus having atwo-part housing comprising a lower part (1) and an upper part (2)defining a card insertion slot therebetween, wherein said upper part (2)is attachable to a circuit board and includes a contact support (3)having a plurality of contact pairs (4) therein corresponding to saidplurality of contact fields on said chip card; and wherein said lowerpart (1) is constructed as a slide that permits introduction of saidchip card into said apparatus part (1) and includes a catch tab (9)engageable with each of a pair of corresponding spaced apart catches(10, 11) formed in said upper part (2) such that said lower part (1) isguided on said upper part (2) so as to engage said upper part between anouter limit position corresponding to a loading position and an innerlimit position corresponding to a read position for said chip card. 2.The chip card reading apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a guiderail (7) in combination with a carriage (8) that is displaceablethereon.
 3. The chip card reading apparatus of claim 2 wherein saidguide rail (7) is formed laterally on either side of upper part (2). 4.The chip card reading apparatus of claim 3 wherein said carriage (8) isformed of grooved bars arranged on said lower part (1) surrounding saidguide rail (7) and provided in a middle area with a window formingelastic ridges on which said catch tab (9) is formed.
 5. The chip cardreading apparatus of claim 3 wherein said carriage (8) is pivoted outelastically over a part of its length to define an elastically pivotablearea (12).
 6. The chip card reading apparatus of claim 5 wherein saidelastically pivotable area (12) includes said catch tab (9) engageablewith each of said corresponding catches (10, 11) formed in said upperpart (2) and corresponding to an end position of said carriage (8). 7.The chip card reading apparatus of claim 6 wherein said upper part (2)is provided with at least one additional catch tab definingcorresponding intermediate positions for engagement of said catch (9).8. The chip card reading apparatus of claim 6 wherein said upper part(2) is flexible about a line extending parallel to said guide rail (7).9. The chip card reading apparatus of claim 6 wherein said upper part isprovided with stops (5) which prevent displacement of said carriage pastpredetermined rest positions (9, 10) and (9, 11).
 10. The chip cardreading apparatus of claim 9 wherein said stops (5) are provided withdrilled holes that permit attachment of said upper part (2) to saidcircuit board.
 11. The chip card reading apparatus of claim 1 whereinsaid lower part (1) includes an actuation element (19) projecting into achip card insertion plane, said actuation element being movable outwardsin a direction opposite said insertion plane upon insertion of said chipcard in said lower part (1) and said actuation element (19) actuating alimit switch (20) upon sliding of said lower part (1) without a chipcard.
 12. The chip card reading apparatus of claim 11 wherein saidactuation element (19) is integrally formed of a tearout of said lowerpart that is elastically pivotable outward from said insertion plane.13. The chip card reading apparatus of claim 1 wherein said upper part(2) is provided at one of its edges with at least one hook (21) whichencompasses a support and having elastic elements (22) proximate theretoin combination with spreader clips (24) wherein said spreader clips (24)are insertable in a corresponding opening in said support.
 14. The chipcard reading apparatus of claim 1 wherein said upper part (2) includes awindow and corresponding recess having a conically pointed form.